Teachers Resources for School overseas trips

For Teachers

The Benefits

"A great trip that the students thoroughly enjoyed. Thank you for the meticulous planning which ensured everything did go according to plan."Economics Teacher, email

Each programme is designed to give your students an outstanding adventure, while enhancing their cross-curricular learning. We understand teachers are short of time and resources. At Global Action we maximise support to our schools and teachers, to reduce workload to a minimum:

There are no hidden costs. We provide an all-inclusive package, which includes: return flights, accommodation, food, transportation, all activities (including fieldwork), and staffing.

We collect all payments, and invoice parents direct for balances.

We are a fully-bonded UK tour operator, and we offer financial protection for our school teams through our Air Travel Organiser's License (ATOL) Number 10624.

We offer a flexible payment plan. Deposits and instalments can be tailor-made for your team, helping every participant to access our programme.

We pride ourselves on a culture of transparency, honesty and integrity. We strive for the highest standards of excellence and a personal one-to-one service:

Your health and safety are our top priority. We have a highly comprehensive Safety Management System which includes pre-departure preparation and during the expedition. This includes:- providing you with detailed risk assessments for each activity, extensive itinerary planning with our trained in-country partners (including the UK FCO), providing each team with experienced and qualified UK Expedition Leaders, 24-hour safety backup, satellite telephones and comprehensive First Aid Kits. Read more

We believe fundraising is a key element of participants' personal development in the expedition build-up, and we have over 10 years' expertise in helping teams fundraise effectively. If appropriate, we will set up a student-led Fundraising Committee, and advise the team on activities with the maximum financial return. Our workshops are especially designed to empower the students to coordinate and drive fundraising activities (rather than busy teachers!).

We provide complete pre-departure support to you, and on your return. This includes our Directors or Managers facilitating all parents' presentations, and workshops.

We provide you, and your students, with an exclusive 15% discount off clothing and kit with Cotswold Outdoor (in-store and online) and 10% off vaccinations and medical kit with MASTA, who run the largest network of private travel clinics in the UK.

Cross-Curricular Learning, Coursework & Fieldwork

Cross-Curricular Learning

Each Global Action programme has been carefully designed to enhance cross-curricular learning across the Humanities (for example Geography, Economics, World Development) with Science (for example, Biology, Environmental Science) and Modern Languages.

Our programmes are attractive to Senior Management Teams as they appeal to a wide student base, and you can open the trip up to all students.

Alternatively, teachers have the option of focusing on one (or two) key subjects (e.g. Geography and/or Biology) to enhance curricular learning outside the classroom. From GCSE to AS/A2, we can help you tailor-make an itinerary to meet your desired learning outcomes.

Uniquely, our Directors facilitate unique Global Learning Workshops for each team. These dynamic workshops challenge students to engage with complex global issues linked to the expedition's aims, fieldwork and project:

Your students will participate in small teams to analyse country case studies. Current examples include: environmental protection on Zanzibar Island, the roles of UK charities and poverty reduction in Nepal, and the role of specialist UN agencies in Switzerland.

Students problem-solve, and then deliver short presentations to the group on solutions.

"The statutory cross-curricular global dimension...recognises the importance of global learning to young people's future success in a globalised economy and for tackling major global issues such as poverty and climate change." Kate Brown, geography teacher (Brown, K (2010) The Benefits of Global Learning, Development Education Association)

Our programmes also complement and strengthen activities undertaken as part of the International School Award (ISA), the UNESCO Associated Schools Project Network, and other valuable extra-curricular activities that encourage an international perspective, and nurture our global citizens of the future, such as the Model United Nations and Global Student Forum.

Coursework and The Universities Award

Each of our Programmes clarify the Subject Focus and Cross-Curricular opportunities, and how the trip can be used to complete curricular coursework research for essays (for example, the AQA Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) and the IB Extended Essay), and the IB's Creativity, Action and Service (CAS) elements.

Due to the high educational value of our programmes, your students - achievements will be rewarded! Each student completing a Global Action expedition receives the widely-recognised ASDAN Universities Award.

The ASDAN Universities Award is highlighted by UCAS for applicants to mention in the personal statement of their UCAS form. Students have found that the Universities Award has made a significant difference to their UCAS Application.

The Universities Award comprises 6 modules: Work Related Activities; Career Planning; Global Awareness; Active Citizenship; Enrichment Activities; Extended Project. Like students who complete the University of Oxford's Summer School, all participants who complete the Global Action Programme will automatically receive the Universities Award.

Fieldwork

Well-planned fieldwork experience is widely-recognised by Universities, the ISI, OFSTED, and the UK Government to have a positive impact on students' motivation and enthusiasm for their subjects. Our Itinerary Highlights illustrate fieldwork opportunities, practicals and seminars you can undertake in each location.

Itineraries are tailored to meet your specific learning objectives and/or student fieldwork needs. It is certainly possible to incorporate the collection of evidence for Key Skills into your itinerary.

Global Action carries out extensive itinerary planning with our in-country partners, many of whom are leading biologists, conservation, or development experts with whom we have worked since 1995. We will personally visit your destination prior to your arrival to ensure the fieldwork, practicals and seminars are well prepared!

University Application and Employable Skills

Students can use The Universities Award, field research and work alongside scientists or conservation experts to enhance their UCAS Personal Statement and University entrance interviews.

Our expeditions are also designed to strengthen students' employable skills in: leadership, teamwork, communication skills and self-reliance through adventurous activities.

Safety Management

Your health and safety issues are our top priority. Our Directors have over 10 years - expertise in planning school expeditions safely.

Each team is led by a qualified UK Expedition Leader, who has excellent in-country experience, is first aid qualified, and has attended pre-departure briefings and safety backup training with Global Action. We assess each of our Leaders through a rigorous selection and appointment process. Each has extensive experience in facilitating personal development and leadership skills with students. As a result, teachers can focus on pastoral care and be assured of their own, and the group's, safety.

Depending on your itinerary requirements, we can arrange for an Expedition Leader who is a biologist, geographer, conservationist or development expert to tutor the group. Please contact us to discuss your requirements!

We have developed a highly comprehensive Safety Management System, which includes:

Pre-Departure

Your destination is visited by Global Action prior to your arrival to ensure activities are booked, checked and ready!

The school will be provided with a detailed risk assessment for every location and activity, which is constantly monitored and updated to keep teachers' workloads to a minimum.

Extensive itinerary planning with our in-country partners to ensure all activities, fieldwork and project work is prepared to the highest standards. This includes working closely with the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), Embassies and High Commissions.

We recommend comprehensive Travel Insurance to ensure each participant has comprehensive travel and medical insurance, including air evacuation and repatriation.

To assist participants in their preparation, once you have booked, we will send you a password for the exclusive Global Action Members' Area of our website. You will be able to access detailed information on:- fundraising, flights, insurance, visas, country advice, a clothing list, discounts, and more!

During the expedition

Each group is led by a qualified and carefully selected UK Expedition Leader, who has excellent in-country experience, is first aid qualified, and has attended pre-departure briefings and safety backup training with Global Action.

Our office provides a 24-hour safety-backup system through a combination of UK Directors, staff and in-country partners. This ensures a rapid response in the unlikely event of an emergency, giving you complete peace of mind.

We operate strict adult to participant ratios, tailored to the itinerary and activities (this is never higher than 1:8).

Where appropriate, Satellite telephones and highly comprehensive First Aid kits are carried by each Expedition Leader, who is able to communicate 24/7 with our network of trained in-country partners and the Global Action office.

If you have any question on health or safety, please don't hesitate to call us

Booking Your Trip

We appreciate how busy Teachers are, and we make the booking process as simple as possible! There are four easy steps:

Contact Us: Call or email us to book a meeting or teleconference at your school. We will listen carefully to what interests you and your requirements.

Tailored Proposal: We will then email you a tailored proposal, which will include a full itinerary, all-inclusive price, and key documents for the Senior Management Team (SMT).

SMT Approval: Once you get approval from the SMT, we will send you key marketing material, including posters, to help promote the trip.

Destination Presentation!: We will visit the school to deliver inspiring presentations in a short Morning Assembly and a longer Parents - Presentation 10 days later.

Global Action has over 10 years' experience in running Assemblies and Parents - Presentations. We will deliver a detailed PowerPoint presentation, and answer all your students - and parents - questions.